Alma 61:2-4

Brant Gardner

The introduction to the letter provides the expected declaration of who sent it. This is a letter from Pahoran. What Moroni had said to him was harsh, and accusatory. Pahoran understood that Moroni was angry, but angry at a situation about which he was not sufficiently informed. Therefore, Pahoran notes that he does grieve for the army’s predicament, but that there is a situation that Moroni must understand.

Moroni was absolutely correct that the problems with the king-men were at the heart of the problem, but he wasn’t aware of the full nature of the situation. The king-men, who had originally declined to fight, and wanted to invite the Lamanites into their lands, had become even more active. They had rebelled. What Moroni declared he would do to preserve liberty, the king-men had already done something contrary to destroy it. Pahoran had to flee because the king-men had gained control of the city and of the government of Zarahemla. Pahoran declares that it was they who withheld reinforcements and provisions. Moroni would have found that completely believable, because the king-men had already attempted once to allow the Lamanites to have a victory in Nephite lands. This action was in keeping with what Moroni knew of them.

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